Given the saturation news coverage of the insane killing spree in Arizona over the weekend (together with the subsequent media navel-gazing and partisan finger pointing), you’d think nothing else in the world was happening. So, just to change things up a little, here’s a video of a guy getting violently kicked in the face by an RCMP “detective” in Kelowna, B.C. the other day:
There was a time back in the 60s when the words “police” and “brutality” were routinely conjoined. It’s difficult to understand what has gone so tragically wrong with the RCMP of late that many of their officers seem almost willfully determined to revive this unfortunate association in the public mind by tasering innocent people to death or, in this case, punting a harmless guy on his knees in the head.
Well, at least back in the ’60s, the cops were usually just slamming some innocent pot smoker against the car, not beating the crap out of him or killing him. BTW, has anyone else noticed how often a female cop is involved in these atrocities?
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No, I hadn’t actually noticed the female aspect of it. Most typically it seems to be the usual suspects; which is to say, men between the ages of 25-35.
What struck me as somewhat disturbing about this particular case was the fact that other officers on the scene appeared to be completely oblivious to the suspect having been kicked in the face for no good reason. They just went purposefully about their business with no regard whatsoever that there was a guy lying on the ground in a pool of blood spilling from his head.
I don’t think that police brutality has actually abated in any significant way over the years. What seems to be happening is that these thugs are “sometimes” being videotaped.
Good point. Incidents such as this one would have never come to light in the past. Not that it usually seems to make any difference in the end.
I don’t know how widespread the practice is (perhaps it was just experimental), but in some parts of Britain the police officers themselves have to wear video cameras that record their actions while on duty.